Creep
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Anzu runs into an old face from the past. One that comes with an annoying laugh.


Staying late at the college had always been a bad idea. Anzu carried herself well and she wasn't exactly scared of the streets of New York City, but staying out wasn't her favorite thing to do. Not when she had a warm bed to be in and an early sunrise to meet. With two jobs, a dance recital, and actual school work to do, though, she didn't have it easy. She'd dropped by the college after work to finish off a project in the library. By the time she finished it was way later than she'd expected.

She hefted her schoolbag onto her shoulder, grunting with how heavy it had gotten over just a few months. Papers, books, her extra shoes, supplies; a few moments a day she was starting to question if it was all worth it. Her coat was zipped up tight before she bid goodbye to the librarian and ran out the doors. A freezing wind greeted her immediately and she found herself wishing the library was open twenty four hours a day. Then maybe she could fall asleep there, or wait for the sun to rise, at least.

Her hands kept in her pockets, clenched tightly, and her head low underneath her hood. Her shoulders were squared back and it didn't take long down the sidewalk for her legs to start burning. All this work was exhausting her. Why couldn't she just take classes at home like some of the other colleges? "Enough whining." She exhaled to herself. Her life was a mess, she didn't need her brain to be a cluttered space too.

Up across the street she heard someone moaning and shaking a change cup. Carefully she drew more into herself. When she had extra change to spare she dropped it into whatever nearest cup was asking for it. But on nights like these she'd heard stories of bums getting crazy- especially with women that looked feeble. She knew she couldn't let her imagination run wild. She wasn't scared. She shouldn't have been, anyway. Despite her best efforts to keep looking straight ahead, however, her eyes strayed as she passed by. Only for a second. And then she was back on track.

"-hey." The voice underneath the raggedy brown cloak was croaking at her. She made an effort to go a bit faster. "Hey!" Was he really yelling at her? Anzu had to strain not to run but to keep her pace. Running would seem desperate. It might even entice the guy to get up and chase her.

Which seemed to be happening anyway. She heard him press back against the building as he stood before coming after her. There was no way this was really happening. Her apartment building was too far away for her to just run from him. She had to stand her ground.

"Back off!" She stopped suddenly, looking over her shoulder with a careful and confident shout.

It seemed not to deter the guy who then reached out to take her shoulder in his hand. "Wait!" She looked beneath his hood, a spike of fear that she quashed quickly rose in her throat. It was over in just a few more seconds as she took the entire length of his arm and bent to pull him and then toss him over her shoulder.

Her breathing had quickened without her realizing. "I told you to back off." A nod as she knew she had every right.

"Jeez Anzu you really are the brute you've always been!" The voice took on a much more annoying lilt and she almost thought she recognized it. The smaller form stood shakily, the hood falling off. She knew she recognized that teal bowl cut then.

She just couldn't believe it. "-Haga? What the hell are you doing out here!" That didn't excuse his actions, either. "And what do you think you're doing just grabbing people like that?" Her shouting was a direct effect of the steam she needed to blow off. Haga had always been a good outlet for things like that, the little creep.

"I called to you but you ignored me!" It had been years since he'd seen the other woman, much less her boyfriend-…were they? He wondered. It had always seemed like they would end up together. Not that he cared.

Anzu patted down her jacket in an effort to smooth her nerves flat. "Yeah? Well… that still doesn't excuse your actions!" How long had it been, really? She barely recognized his voice. They'd both grown up, hadn't they? She felt the same, though. He looked… different. "What happened to your glasses?" Those trademark gross bug glasses, gaudy in gold. His eyes looked better without them, she noted.

"Tch. People kept breaking them. I can't catch a break after your boyfriend destroyed my career." Spat out with a very harsh move of his head, one that sent his uneven bangs across his eyes. Though he may have grown up he was still just as much the immature kid he'd always been.

Her lips drew thin. "Boyfriend? He's not my…" Not anymore. Not since she moved. They were good friends. They'd always be. "That's none of your business besides!" But what was it now. She was feeling sort of- well just a little… bad for him. What could she offer him, though? Was he just living on the streets?

Bad as she felt she had no intention of inviting him back to her apartment. That was never going to happen. The little creep… Poor little creep.

"Cheheh. What's with that look?" The sad expression on her face. Pity, was it? Maybe he could get something out of her.

That laugh. She regretted feeling bad for him quickly. "I'm not looking at you in any way. And I'm going home." She turned with a slight stomp of her foot. "And don't you even think of following me!"

Haga put his hands into his pockets. "And to think you always toted yourself nicest of your idiot friends." Just a little more… "Chehehe."

"You're still the annoying little bug you always were." He still wasn't getting an invite to her apartment. After tonight she'd never go this way again, in fact. The less Haga knew about her the better. He still got underneath her skin. The little worm. "Here. Get a hot meal or something." She wiggled her wallet out of her pocket to toss a ten dollar bill at him. Unfortunate. She was going to use that for some new lacing.

Watching him fumble with it before laughing again she glowered. It was time to go. She didn't need to be here any longer. But something was keeping her. She shouldered her bag higher and leveled a much sadder look at him. "Yuugi never wanted this for you. Don't walk around blaming him for everything." If she wrote to Yuugi and told him about this he'd probably send her money to give to him. That's just the kind of guy Yuugi was.

"Why shouldn't I? He's the one who did this to me." He sneered. In that moment she realized he didn't look any different. Maybe he'd just been practicing nice faces so people would give him money.

It had worked, hadn't it? She rolled her eyes and turned away from him again. "Be that way." She wasn't responsible for him. And with that she continued down the street, keeping herself from looking back. She could feel him looking at her. But at least he wasn't following.

Little creep.


End file.
